Dear University of Portland,
I have officially resigned from my position as president of the Associated Students of University of Portland. It has been a pleasure and a challenge to serve in this role the past 10 months. I am proud of what we were able to accomplish, but disappointed in my ability to foster genuine teamwork amongst the Executive Board. The lack of a healthy team dynamic had created consistent miscommunication and distrust. For these reasons, I was unable to fulfill all my duties as president, and therefore felt I should not continue in this role if I cannot satisfy all of its merits. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but one that I finally made for myself.
To all the students, thank you for your continued support this past year, I have been delighted by all of my interactions with all the great student leaders who are making an impact on this campus. All of you have inspired me, kept me going, and truly given me a sense of purpose in this community. It was one of my goals as president to interact with as many students on this campus as I possibly could, in the past 10 months I’ve used that goal to push me out of my comfort zone and into a position to learn what makes University of Portland an amazing place. I’ve said this all year, but I’ll say it one last time: We, the students, are the reason for exuberant life on The Bluff. Each conversation, each smile and each wave has given me fulfillment and contributed to lifelong memories.
To all of the senators, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to witness your relentless efforts towards reform. You took the vision of change with the seriousness it required and created historical legislation. I am sure that the student body will vote to approve the constitutional changes in order to ensure the next generation receives an effective student government. Another goal of mine was to revive Senate, to make it a team that people would want to be a part of. I believe you all saw what can be accomplished when the group is clicking, and improved in the new legislation where you saw further work needed to be done. I am excited to see where ASUP Senate goes from here, even following my departure from the university.
To all of the service directors, you have all exceeded expectations on every imaginable level. Your work does not go unnoticed, and the record number of students engaging with the services backs this. You are all behind-the-scenes heroes and a critical piece of what makes the student experience at UP an unforgettable one. I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to serve you all.
To all of the faculty and staff, your eagerness to relay not only information, but also life lessons to the students here on The Bluff is what attracted me to the University of Portland. Your consistent advice for and relationship with us students, and willingness to mold next generation leaders, is on display everyday. I am thankful to have had several of you as my life coaches.
Finally, to all of the administration, thank you for your openness in hearing and addressing student concerns. In the past 10 months, all we’ve had together were productive interactions that led to campus-wide awareness. I truly believe the University is headed in the right direction under all of your guidance. I learned this year that student concerns are a priority, and I can say with full confidence that you do genuinely care about the well-being of the student body.
If I could have one last request: All I ask is that I am not remembered as the president who quit, but rather the president who made you smile, was always available when needed to be and who catered to all that mattered to the student body. From that aspect, it has been an absolute pleasure to serve in this role.
-Khalid Osman
